Knitting machine



May 7, 1929. v w. s. PARKER 1,711,549

' KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1925 Patented May 7, 1929.

time

UNITED STATES PAT Q E -WILLIAM S. PARKER, 01? ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASS-IGNOR 'IO BUR/SON KNITTING COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A. GDRPGRA'IION OF ILLINOIS;

: Km'r'rifne MACHINE.

Application filed August 20, 1923. Serial No. 658,250.

This invention relates to straight knitting machines, andhas more particular reference to the needle-supporting and actuating mechanism. I

Heretofore. in machines of this type having opposed flat beds of needles, it hasbeen customary to move each needle in the knit ting operation by means of a jack and to move each jack into and out of operative relation to a, needle-actuating cam by means of a jack lever in turn operated and controlledby a patterncylinder. Inipractice, it is found very difiicult to obtain a high degree of accuracy and precision in the operation of the needles, due'to small dimensional variances in the manufacture of these (o-operating parts and also to the wear between such parts, which causes lost motion and slight irregularities in the operation of the needles. These slight irregularities appear in the quality of the'knitted fabric, making it diflicult'toobtain'the desired uniformity and fine grade of goods knit on these machines.

The primary object of the present invention is therefore, to improve the grade and quality of knitting on machines of this kind by the provision of an improved needle sup porting and operating mechanism. This mechanism comprises fewer parts so constructed as to obviate the objectionable features of the above-mentioned jack-operated needles. V

More particularly, I have provided an improved means for supporting the needles and for moving them into, and out of operative relation tothe needle-actuating cams. In this construction, each needle is slidable on a supporting part which is pivoted near the throat of the machine and operated by a pattern cylinder lever for moving a projection on the needle into and out of the path of the needle-actuating cam.

It is also contemplated to provide an improved bed construction especially adapted, to my present improvements, as will be pres- Other ob 'ects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following descripently apparent.

tion when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 1s a fragmentary top viewof a straight knitting machine embodying; my

invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantiallyfon the line 2.2 ofFig. l.

In some respects the machine illustrated 5' herein is similar to the Burson type of straight bed knitting machines, as, for example shownln U. S. Letters Patent #6l6,-

The needle bed and appurtenant parts at I each side or the machine being identical, a

description of one will sufiice. The bed is of a lammated construction, composed of movable needle supports 11 and stationary supports 12 arranged in alternation on a plurality of horizontal bed rods 13, 14 and 15. The needle-supporting members 12, preferably pressed from sheet metal, are held in rigid relation by comb bars 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21, these bars and theibed rods being rigidly secured to end frames or standards, not shown; These bars and rods are sufliciently heavy to carry without defiection or vibration the laminated bed structure and other parts carried thereby.

Each needle 22 has a relatively long shank, a projection 23 near its butt end, and an extended butt end 24. j The needle is slidably supported on the topsurface 25 of the support 11 and receives side support from the adjoining members 12. A suitable spring 26 urges the hook end of the needle to the needle, and the butt end 24 is adapted 27 on the support 11 when the needle is retracted, so that it will be carried with said support when it is moved as will be presently described.

Each needle support 11 is pivotally mounted on a rod 28 positionedadjacent to the throat of the machine, thus permitting the support to bemoved vertically at its outer needles will be in action, the needle projectionsv 23 being directlyoperated by the cams 9 for advancing and retracting the needles, thus eliminating a source of error e 0 I down on its support, giving proper tens on which invariably results from the use of a multiplicity of parts and motion-transmitting contact points between the cam and each needle. When the support 11 is lowered, its needle projection 23 will obviously be withdrawn from the path of the cam, thus holding the needle out of action.

Each needle support 11 is independently operated by a lever 29 interposed between the adjoining supporting members 12 and directly operated by the adjacent pattern cylinder. The lever pivotally mounted at 31 and having pattern followers 32, 33 and 34, has a pivotal connection with its needle support 11, consisting of a circular portion 35 fitting in a circular recess 36 in the support 11, this recess being slightly elongated in the direction of a line connecting the pivots 28 and 31 to prevent binding between the connected parts. The cam plates of the laminated pattern cylinder are so shaped as to rock the lever 29 in opposite directions for raising and lowering the needle supports 11, these pattern cam plates being shown but briefly herein as their construction is well understood in this art. I

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the needles are moved by a very-simple and directly operating mechanism into and out of action, and that the constructionby reason of its direct action is such as to promote greater uniformity in the knitting operation and consequently improve the quality of knitting.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above, and while I have illust 'ated but a single working embodiment it should be understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of the needles, each having a projection near its butt end, a needle-actuating cam for operating said projections, a support for each needle pivoted near the throat of the machine and having a recess therein, pattern mechanism, and a lever for each support operated by the pattern mechanism and havmg a circular end fitting in said recess,

whereby the needle supports will be operated by the levers for moving the needles into and out of operative relation to the cam.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of needles each having an operating projection thereon, a needle actuating cam engaging the same, a support for each needle pivoted near the throat of the machine, pattern mechanism, and a lever for each support operated by the pattern mechanism, each. lever and its associated support having an operating connection consisting of a recess provided on the one part receiving a projection provided on the other part, whereby i the needle supports are operated by the levers for moving the needles into and out of operative relation to the cam,

WILLIAM s, PARKER. 

